When you cut your wedding cake you are cutting your first slice of married life - so the tradition says.
The cake is a symbol of celebration - it is shared by the bridal couple
amongst friends and family. The custom of sharing the cake and even
sending some to absent friends represents the sharing of the happiness
and good fortune felt by the newly wed couple. And the cutting of
the cake is an opportunity for photographs, toasts and congratulations.
The bridesmaids usually share the cake out to guests. Often the top
layer of the cake is kept and frozen, to be eaten on the couple's first
wedding anniversary or on the birth of the first baby.
Wedding cakes were once just simple fruit cakes but now it is common to
give them a contemporary twist. A carrot cake, perhaps for a health
conscious couple, a chocolate mud cake for the not so health conscious,
or a theme cake which makes an individual statement.
The cake can also be a work of art. It usually has a romantic theme,
draped with heavy almond-flavoured icing and decorated with sugar
flowers, figurines, ribbons or hearts. Some couples choose fresh
flowers for their cake which match the colour of the bridal bouquets.
Your cake can be a simple affair or a bold statement and there are
designer wedding cake companies who can advise you.
The better the ingredients, the longer the cake will keep, so choose a
company which will make your cake from the best quality ingredients. It
is best to order your cake at least two months in advance.
The number of guests you have invited of course dictates the size of
the cake. Allow one piece for each guest and absent friends.
Your wedding cake can be served as an integral part of your celebratory
meal - it makes a great dessert served with thick cream and a platter
of fruit or served later with coffee and port.
Looking for a Cake Decorator? Go to our Wedding Services directory.
